Friday, February 14, 2014

[visionlist] [meetings] Intl Conf. on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN 2014) - Deadline extended

Due to a substantial number of requests the deadline is extended
to 27 February 2014. No further extension will be granted.


===================================================================

ICANN 2014: 24th Annual Conference on Artificial Neural Networks
15 - 19 September 2014, University of Hamburg, Germany
http://icann2014.org/

===================================================================

The International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks (ICANN)
is the annual flagship conference of the European Neural Network
Society (ENNS). In 2014 the University of Hamburg will organize
the 24th ICANN Conference from 15th to 19th September 2014 in
Hamburg, Germany.


KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Christopher M. Bishop (Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK)
Yann LeCun (New York University, NY, USA)
Kevin Gurney (University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK)
Barbara Hammer (Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany)
Jun Tani (KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea)
Paul Verschure (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain)


ORGANIZATION:

General Chair:
Stefan Wermter (Hamburg, Germany)
Program co-Chairs
Alessandro E.P. Villa (Lausanne, Switzerland, ENNS President)
Wlodzislaw Duch (Torun, Poland & Singapore, ENNS Past-President)
Petia Koprinkova-Hristova (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Günther Palm (Ulm, Germany)
Cornelius Weber (Hamburg, Germany)
Timo Honkela (Helsinki, Finland)
Local Organizing Committee Chairs:
Sven Magg, Johannes Bauer, Jorge Chacon, Stefan Heinrich, Doreen
Jirak, Katja Koesters, Erik Strahl


VENUE:

Hamburg is the second-largest city in Germany, home to over
1.8 million people. Situated at the river Elbe, the port of Hamburg
is the second-largest port in Europe. The University of Hamburg is
the largest institution for research and education in the north of
Germany.

The venue of the conference is the ESA building of the University
of Hamburg, situated at Edmund-Siemers-Allee near the city centre
and easily reachable from Dammtor Railway Station. Hamburg Airport
can be reached easily via public transport.

For the accomodation we arranged guaranteed rates for a couple of
hotels in Hamburg for ICANN 2014.


CONFERENCE TOPICS:

ICANN 2014 will feature the main tracks Brain Inspired Computing and
Machine Learning research, with strong cross-disciplinary
interactions and applications. All research fields dealing with
Neural Networks will be present at the conference.
A non-exhaustive list of topics includes:

Brain Inspired Computing: Cognitive models, Computational
Neuroscience, Self-organization, Reinforcement Learning, Neural
Control and Planning, Hybrid Neural-Symbolic Architectures,
Neural Dynamics, Recurrent Networks, Deep Learning.

Machine Learning: Neural Network Theory, Neural Network Models,
Graphical Models, Bayesian Networks, Kernel Methods, Generative
Models, Information Theoretic Learning, Reinforcement Learning,
Relational Learning, Dynamical Models.

Neural Applications for: Intelligent Robotics, Neurorobotics,
Language Processing, Image Processing, Sensor Fusion, Pattern
Recognition, Data Mining, Neural Agents, Brain-Computer
Interaction, Neural Hardware, Evolutionary Neural Networks.

PAPERS:

Papers of maximum 8 pages length will be refereed to international
standards by at least three referees. Accepted papers of contributing
authors will be published in Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in
Compute Science (LNCS) series. Submission of papers will be online.
More details are available on the conference web site.


DEMONSTRATIONS:

ICANN 2014 will host demonstrations to showcase research and
applications of neural networks. Demonstrations are self-contained,
i.e. independent of any presented talk or poster. For a demonstration
proposal, we request a 1-page description of your demonstration and
its features. Later, you will communicate which resources (space /
duration / projector / internet / etc.) you require. Decisions about
demonstrations will be made within two weeks after submission
deadline. A full conference registration is required for the
demonstration.

We invite you to submit proposals for Demonstrations to:
ICANN2014@informatik.uni-hamburg.de


TRAVEL AWARDS:

As in previous years, the European Neural Network Society (ENNS) will
offer at least five student travel awards of 400 Euro each for students
presenting papers.In addition, the selected students will be able to
register to the conference for free and will become ENNS members
for the next year (2015).

The deadline for sending the Travel Grant application (that includes
a Letter of Interest to the PC chairs, Studentship Proof and detailed CV
of the candidate) is the 14th of April, 2014. The award will be sent to
the student by 28th April and paid during the conference. More details
can be found on the website.


DEADLINES:

Submission of full papers: * 27 February 2014 *
Notification of acceptance: 7 April 2014
Submission of Demonstration proposals: 21 April 2014
Camera-ready paper and registration: 5 May 2014

Conference dates: 15-19 September 2014


CONFERENCE WEBSITE:

http://www.icann2014.org


***********************************************
Professor Dr. Stefan Wermter
Chair of Knowledge Technology
Department of Computer Science
University of Hamburg
Vogt Koelln Str. 30
22527 Hamburg, Germany

http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~wermter/
http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/WTM/
***********************************************

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

[Comp-neuro] The International Topical Conference “Nonlinear Dynamics on Complex Networks”

International Conference "Nonlinear Dynamics on Complex Networks"
17-23 July, 2014

Nizhny Novgorod
, Russia

 Organized by

Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences
University
of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Chairs            

Vladimir Nekorkin, Institute of Applied Physics RAS, Russia
Arkady Pikovsky,
University of Potsdam, Germany

 Program Committee

Valentin Afraimovich, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Jose Maria Amigo, Universidad Miguel Herna'ndez, Spain
Peter Ashwin, University of Exeter, UK
Igor Belykh, Georgia State University, USA
Jean-Marie Bilbault, Bourgogne University, France
Maurice Courbage, Université Paris 7, France
Alexander Dmitriev, Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics RAS, Russia
Alexander Mikhailov, Fritz Haber Institute, Germany
Antonio Politi, Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, Scotland, UK
Nikolai Rulkov, BioCircuits Institute, USA

 Conference scope

Dynamical networks: Elements of general theory
Characterization of complex dynamics
Heteroclinic sequences and channels in dynamical networks
Synchronization
Applications in life sciences and engineering
Adaptation and control  

 Invited speakers

 Jose Maria Amigo
Universidad Miguel Herna'ndez,
Elche, Spain
Entropy and switching systems

Vadim Anishchenko
Saratov State University, Russia
Poincare recurrences: Theory and applications

Peter Ashwin
University of Exeter, UK
Networks in phase and physical space: design and dynamics of heteroclinic attractors in coupled cell systems

Ernesto Estrada
University of Strathclyde,
Glasgo, UK
Consensus and controllability in social networks under combined direct and indirect peers pressure

Elbert Macau
National Institute for Space Research,
Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
Controlling Collective Behavior

Leonid Manevich
Institute of Chemical Physics RAS,
Moscow, Russia
Energy exchange and localization in finite nonlinear oscillatory chains

Gustavo Martinez-Mekler
Instituto de Ciencias Fi'sicas, UNAM,
Cuernavaca, Mexico

Maurizio Porfiri
Polytechnic School of Engineering, New York University, USA
Synchronization and control in networks of stochastically coupled oscillators

Aneta Stefanovska
Lancaster University
, UK
Systems with stable amplitudes and time-varying frequencies

Sebastiano Stramaglia
University of Bari, Italy
Nonlinear dynamics and information flow on the human brain connectome

Changsong Zhou
Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University,Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Cost-efficiency in neural connectivity and

Scientific Secretary

Denis Zakharov
Institute of Applied Physics RAS
e-mail: nwp1@neuron.appl.sci-nnov.ru

 Key Dates:

Deadline for submission of short abstracts and registration forms                                                 1 March, 2014
Notification of acceptance                                                                                                         
1 April, 2014
Deadline for submission of extended abstracts                                                                            
15 May, 2014
Deadline for early registration                                                                                                     
1 June, 2014
Deadline for registration                                                                                                             
1 July, 2014

Conference Fees

The registration fee that includes a registration kit, conference abstracts, historical tours, and welcome party is 400 Euro (300 Euro if paid before 1 June, 2014) for participants and 200 Euro for accompanying persons. The registration fee is waived for the conference chairs and program committee members. Students will be accorded a reduced registration fee of 200 Euro.

The cost of accommodation is 800 Euro for each participant and accompanying person. The accommodation on board will be high-class one- or two-berth cabin, breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Also, complementary coffee will be available during the breaks.

Participants are expected to secure conference fees and travel funding independently.

Conference Web site:        http://www.nwp.sci-nnov.ru

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

[Comp-neuro] Two PhD positions in Visual Psychophysics and Computational Neuroscience at the Institute of Vision in Paris, France

Two fully-funded PhD positions in Visual Psychophysics and Computational Neuroscience

Job description
Applications are invited for two PhD positions in the Aging in Vision and Action laboratory at the Institute of Vision (INSERM-CNRS-University Pierre & Marie Curie) Paris, France. The gradual impairment of vision-dependent functions in the elderly is at the core of our research. The main goal is to characterize how healthy aging shapes perceptual and cognitive aspects of vision. The first PhD project will focus on the impact of healthy ageing on low-level visual perception and visual processing functions. The second PhD will pioneer original research on the impact of visual aging on spatial perception and spatial orientation functions. These goals will be tackled through the combination of experimental and theoretical methods. 

Requirements
Applicants' background should be in physics/engineering or neuroscience/psychology, with a keen interest in combining quantitative and experimental approaches. Previous experience with visual psychophysics, eye-movement analysis, visual space perception, or aging is welcome. Computer programming skills are also a plus. Proficiency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is not mandatory. Successful candidates are expected to work in an interdisciplinary environment with collaborations with biologists, theoreticians and clinicians. They will be awarded a 3-year PhD fellowship from the University Pierre and Marie Curie Paris.

Working environment and laboratory
The Institute of Vision is one of the top international centers for integrated research on vision and eye diseases. It is located at the heart of Paris, on the campus of the National Hospital Center for Ophthalmology. The Institute of Vision includes multidisciplinary research groups, which share state-of-the-art platforms for human and animal experimentation. It also harbors a clinical investigation center, which fosters truly translational research activity. More information can be found online (http://www.institut-vision.org). The Institute of Vision and Essilor International, world leader in ophthalmic optics, have recently supported the creation of the laboratory of Aging in Vision and Action. This new laboratory aims at evaluating and understanding the functional aspects of the degeneration mechanisms related to visual aging. This research has the potential to produce fundamental knowledge suited for opening to assistive technological developments and rehabilitation solutions. The faculty members of the Aging in Vision and Action laboratory, led by Angelo Arleo, are specialized in visual psychophysics, neurobiology of spatial orientation, neural coding, neurocomputational modeling, and preclinical evaluation. The group has access to a wide range of state-of-the-art platforms including eye trackers, motion capture rooms, virtual reality environments, artificial street labs and home labs (http://www.streetlab-vision.com/en/).

How to apply
Candidates should send a motivation letter, a full CV, and names and contact information of at least two referees, to angelo.arleo@upmc.fr. The application deadline is March 15, 2014. Short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview (either face-to-face or via videoconference).

For further inquiries, please contact Angelo Arleo, angelo.arleo@upmc.fr, phone: +33 6 89 89 07 23. 

----------------------------------------------------------
Angelo ARLEO
Institut of Vision,
Aging in Vision and Action Lab, Head
CNRS - INSERM - University Pierre&Marie Curie,
13, rue Moreau F-75012 Paris, France
Mobile: +33 (0)6 89 89 07 23      
email: angelo.arleo@upmc.fr
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


[Comp-neuro] Advanced Course in Computational Neuroscience 2014

ADVANCED COURSE IN COMPUTATIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
August 3 - 30, 2014, FIAS, Frankfurt, Germany
http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/accn/

Applications accepted: February 10, 2014 – March 23, 2014

SCIENTIFIC DIRECTORS:
* Ehud Ahissar (Weizmann Institute, Israel)
* Dieter Jaeger (Emory University, USA)
* Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK)
* Christian Machens (Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Portugal)

LOCAL ORGANIZERS:
* Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Frankfurt, Germany)
* Hermann Cuntz (FIAS & ESI, Frankfurt, Germany)

The ACCN is for advanced graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are interested in learning the essentials of the field of computational neuroscience.

The course has two complementary parts. Mornings are devoted to lectures given by distinguished international faculty on topics across the breadth of experimental and computational neuroscience. During the rest of the day, students pursue a project of their choosing under the close supervision of expert tutors. This gives them practical training in the art and practice of neural modeling.

The first week of the course introduces students to essential neurobiological concepts and to the most important techniques in modeling single cells, synapses and circuits. Students learn how to solve their research problems using software such as MATLAB, NEST, NEURON, Python, XPP, etc. During the following three weeks the lectures cover networks and specific neural systems and functions. Topics range from modeling single cells and subcellular processes through the simulation of simple circuits, large neuronal networks and system level models of the brain. The course ends with project presentations by the students.

The course is designed for students from a variety of disciplines, including neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics and psychology. Students are expected to have a keen interest and basic background in neurobiology as well as some computer experience. Students of any nationality can apply.

Essential details:
* Course size: about 30 students.
* Fee (which covers tuition, lodging, meals and excursions): EUR 750.
* Scholarships and travel stipends are available.

* Application start: February 10, 2014
* Application deadline: March 23, 2014
* Deadline for letters of recommendation: March 23, 2014
* Notification of results: May, 2014

Information and application
http://fias.uni-frankfurt.de/accn/

Contact address:
accn@fias.uni-frankfurt.de

FACULTY
Erik De Schutter (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan), Dieter Jaeger (Emory University, USA), Astrid Prinz (Emory University, USA), Charles Wilson (University of Texas, San Antonio, USA), Michael Hausser (University College London, UK), Sophie Deneve (Ecole Normale Superieure, France), Christian Machens (Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Portugal), Jochen Triesch (FIAS, Germany), Misha Tsodyks (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Carl van Vreeswijk (CNRS Paris, France), Peter Dayan (University College London, UK), Joern Diedrichsen (University College London, UK), Máté Lengyel (University of Cambridge, UK), Zhaoping Li (University College London, UK), Tatjana Tchumatchenko (MPI for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany), Ehud Ahissar (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Merav Ahissar (Hebrew University, Israel), Nava Rubin (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain)

General Interest Lectures:
Hans-Joachim Pflueger (Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany), Erin Schuman (MPI for Brain Research, Germany), Erik De Schutter (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan), J. Kevin O'Regan (Paris Descartes University, France)

Tutors:
Daniel Miner (Frankfurt, Germany), Andreea Lazar (Frankfurt, Germany), Wieland Brendel (Lisbon / Tuebingen, Portugal / Germany), Sina Tootoonian (Cambridge, UK), Peter Jedlicka (Frankfurt, Germany)

SECRETARY DURING THE COURSE
Chris Ploegaert (University of Antwerp, Belgium)

--
Mate Lengyel, PhD
Computational and Biological Learning Lab
Cambridge University Engineering Department
Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
tel: +44 (0)1223 748 532, fax: +44 (0)1223 332 662
email: m.lengyel@eng.cam.ac.uk
web: www.eng.cam.ac.uk/~m.lengyel

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[Comp-neuro] JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE

Journal of Integrative Neuroscience

"The only journal that combines mathematical neuroscience and experimental brain research for the advancement of a well-grounded theoretical neuroscience."

Indexed in: Index Medicus
MEDLINE
PubMed
Biosis Previews
Biological Abstracts
INSPEC
Science Citation Index
Expanded
Volume 13, No.1 (March) 2014

1. Cerebellum engages in automation of verb-generation skill
Peter Bandentini et al.
2. You know when: ERPs and theta/beta power indicate boundary prediction in music
S.Silva et al.
3. Brain activity associated with translation from a visual to a symbolic representation in algebra and geometry.
M. Leiken et al.
4. Brief neonatal handling alters sexually dimorphic behaviours in adult rats
Fujimoto et al.
5. Influence of education level on design-induced N170 and P3000 components of ERPs in the Human brain
Begum et al.

6. EMOTION CLASSIFICATION IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE BY HIGHER ORDER SPECTRA AND POWER
SPECTRUM FEATURES USING EEG SIGNALS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY
R. YUVARAJ et al.

7. Integration of memory, perception, and attention in episode processing
Cadez, EVA
8. Testing the potential of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in monitoring hemodynamic and
oxygenation changes in prefrontal cortex in response to mechanical pain stimulation at the lower back.
Lisa Holper et al





-------
Roman R. Poznanski
Professor
Laboratory of Biological Modeling
The Rockefeller University
1230 York Avenue
New York, NY 10065-6399
Office: (212) 327-7646
E-mail: rpoznanski@rockefeller.edu
http://romanpoznanski.blogspot.com
and
Chief-Editor,
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
http://www.worldscinet.com/jin/mkt/editorial.shtml_______________________________________________
Comp-neuro
mailing list
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[Comp-neuro] Special issue on the hard problem of consciousness

JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE
http://www.worldscinet.com/jin

THIRD CALL FOR PAPERS
Special issue on the hard problem of consciousness

******Deadline for submission: 28 March 2014********

SPECIAL ISSUE: On the Hard problem of consciousness
During every-day life man reflects on his environment; his mind tries to conceive and understand the connection existing between things; he seeks to grasp in thought and idea what his senses perceive. It is to these ideas and concepts that influence the experiences during life span of the individual. Obscure concepts become sonorous and living in a way comparable only to the tones and the words of the physical world. Thus approaching ever nearer to the attainment of that condition, on path to higher knowledge, in which the unconsciousness of sleep-life is transformed into complete consciousness. This important stage of development, at which manifestation of consciousness is retained in the life, is known as the hard problem of consciousness (Chalmers, 1995).
A neuropsychoanalytic approach to the hard problem of consciousness
M.Solms
Functional and experiential differentiation and integration in an extended dual-aspect monism metaphysical framework: a solution for the hard problem of consciousness.
R. Vimal
Cognitive and phenomenal integration
R. Manzotti and A.Chella
An objective re-assessment of the orchestrated objective reduction theory of consciousness
S. Hamerhoff and J.Tuszynski
Towards a neuroscience of human meaning
K.Tyler and D.T.J. Liley
Consciousness, the explanatory gap, and afference copy
A. Coop and H. Cornelis
Triple-Aspect Monism: An Interdisciplinary Ontology Integrating the Physical, Informational and Conscious Aspects of Reality
Alfredo Pereira Jr
Metaphysical supervenience of consciousness
L.A.Cacha , R.R. Poznanski and G. Reeke












-------
Roman R. Poznanski
Professor
Laboratory of Biological Modeling
The Rockefeller University
1230 York Avenue
New York, NY 10065-6399
Office: (212) 327-7646
E-mail: rpoznanski@rockefeller.edu
http://romanpoznanski.blogspot.com
and
Chief-Editor,
Journal of Integrative Neuroscience
http://www.worldscinet.com/jin/mkt/editorial.shtml
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Monday, February 10, 2014

[Comp-neuro] Feb 15th Application Deadline: Nengo Summer School on Large-Scale Brain Modelling

Hi everyone,
One final reminder to apply to the 2014 Nengo Summer School by Feb. 15th. The school will run from June 8th to June 21st in Waterloo, Ontario. Details below:

The Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo is inviting applications for an in-depth, two week summer school that will teach participants how to use the Neural Engineering Framework and the Nengo simulation package to build state-of-the-art cognitive and neural models. Nengo has been used to build what is currently the world's largest functional brain model, Spaun, and provides users with a versatile and powerful environment for simulating cognitive and neural systems. We welcome applications from all interested graduate students, research associates, postdocs, professors, and industry professionals. No specific training in the use of modelling software is required, but we encourage applications from active researchers with a relevant background in psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, neuromorphic engineering, robotics, or a related field. More information about Nengo, the Neural Engineering Framework, and Spaun can be found at http://www.nengo.ca

For more information about the summer school,  please visit: http://nengo.ca/summerschool

[Comp-neuro] INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON NEURODYNAMICS (NDy14)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON NEURODYNAMICS (NDy14)
July 14-17, 2014
Castro-Urdiales, Spain

http://cody.unizar.es/events/neurodynamics14
http://www.ciem.unican.es/international-workshop-neurodynamics

*** Scientific committee ***
R. Barrio (University of Zaragoza) Spain
S. Coombes (University of Nottingham) UK
A. Guillamon (Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya - Barcelona Tech) Spain
M. Wechselberger (University of Sydney) Australia
A. Shilnikov (Georgia State University) USA

Neuroscience is nowadays one of the most collaborative and active
scientific research fields
as it has been increasingly involving the participation of experts from
other disciplines.
In particular, computational and mathematical aspects of neuroscience
are currently playing
an important role both in modeling and replicating experimental findings
and in explaining
the underlying mechanisms of neurophysiological or cognitive processes.
Differential equations
are ubiquitous in the modeling of such phenomena and, consequently,
nonlinear dynamics and
dynamical systems techniques become fundamental sources of new
mathematical and computational tools
to study neuroscience models.

The aim of this Workshop on Neurodynamics (NDy'14) is to present an
overview of successful achievements
in this rapidly developing collaborative field by putting together
different types of applications
of nonlinear dynamics (geometrical tools in dynamical systems, numerical
methods, computational schemes,
dynamical measures,...) to different problems in neuroscience
(mononeuronal dynamics, network activity,
cognitive problems,...). Additional emphasis will be put on experimental
findings seeking for
theoretical explanations, and therefore this meeting is focussed on
using mathematics as the
primary tool for elucidating the fundamental mechanisms responsible for
experimentally observed behavior
in the applied neurosciences. Importantly, it will draw attention to,
those pieces of
mathematical theory which are likely to be relevant to future studies of
the brain. The final goal
is spreading together mathematical methodology and neuroscience
challenges and stimulating
future cross-collaborations among participants, being Mathematical
Neuroscience
the generic topic for NDy'14.

The workshop length will be 4 days, distributed in special sessions and
talks,
with several round tables on different topics.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
*** IMPORTANT DATES ***

Short abstract/Title submission deadline 31st March 2014
Acceptance notification 10th
April 2014
Payment deadline (reduced fee, 200 Euros) 30th April 2014
Payment deadline (complete fee, 250 Euros) 31st May 2014

The registration includes the coffee-breaks, lunches and social dinner.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Comp-neuro] Frontiers Research Topic: Deadline extended -- Emergent neural computation from the interaction of different forms of plasticity

Dear all,

please take note of the extended deadline of the Frontiers Research Topic on

"Emergent neural computation from the interaction of different forms of
plasticity"

Extended deadline for full article submission: 31 Mar 2014


For details please see*: http://goo.gl/6hSXuM


Best regards,

Cristina Savin, Matthieu Gilson
and Friedemann Zenke








*) note that the extended deadline will only be visible on the website
after Feb 15th.
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Sunday, February 9, 2014

[Comp-neuro] NEURAL COMPUTATION - March, 2014

Neural Computation - Contents -- Volume 26, Number 3 - March 1, 2014

Available online for download now:
http://www.mitpressjournals.org/toc/neco/26/3

-----

Note

Dopamine Ramps Are a Consequence of Reward Prediction Errors
Samuel Gershman

Letters

Approximate, Computationally Efficient Online Learning in Bayesian Spiking Neurons
Levin Kuhlmann, Michael Hauser-Raspe, Jonathan H Manton, David B. Grayden, Jonathan Tapson, and Andre van Schaik

Guaranteed Classification via Regularized Similarity Learning
Zheng-Chu Guo, Yiming Ying

Noise-robust Speech Recognition Through Auditory Feature Detection and Spike Sequence Decoding
Phillip Schafer, Dezhe Jin

Feature Selection for Ordinal Text Classification
Stefano Baccianella, Andrea Esuli, and Fabrizio Sebastiani

A Parallel Dual Matrix Method for Blind Signal Separation
TiaoJun Zeng, QuanYuan Feng

Robust Subspace Discovery via Relaxed Rank Minimization
Xinggang Wang, Zhengdong Zhang, Yi Ma, Xiang Bai, Wenyu Liu, and Zhuowen Tu

------------

ON-LINE -- http://www.mitpressjournals.org/neuralcomp

SUBSCRIPTIONS - 2014 - VOLUME 26 - 12 ISSUES
USA Others Electronic Only
Student/Retired $70 $193 $65
Individual $124 $187 $115
Institution $1,035 $1,098 $926

Canada: Add 5% GST

MIT Press Journals, 238 Main Street, Suite 500, Cambridge, MA 02142-9902
Tel: (617) 253-2889 FAX: (617) 577-1545 journals-orders@mit.edu

------------

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[Comp-neuro] New release of the CARLsim Spiking Neural Network Simulator

Dear colleagues,

Many of you may be interested in our latest software release of the CARLsim simulator. CARLsim is a publicly available, efficient C/C++-based Spiking Neural Network (SNN) simulator that is optimized to run on both generic, x86 CPUs and standard off-the-shelf GPUs. The simulator provides a PYNN-like programming interface, which allows for details and parameters to be specified at the synapse, neuron, and network level. Software and documentation can be found at:

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma/CARLsim/index.html

This release is in conjunction with our latest publications, which highlight CARLsim's latest features.

Beyeler, M., Richert, M., Dutt, N.D., and Krichmar, J.L. (2014). Efficient Spiking Neural Network Model of Pattern Motion Selectivity in Visual Cortex. Neuroinformatics.

Carlson, K.D., Nageswaran, J.M., Dutt, N., and Krichmar, J.L. (2014). An efficient automated parameter tuning framework for spiking neural networks. Frontiers in Neuroscience 8.

Carlson, K.D., Richert, M., Dutt, N., and Krichmar, J.L. (2013). Biologically Plausible Models of Homeostasis and STDP: Stability and Learning in Spiking Neural Networks. Paper presented at: International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (Dallas, TX: IEEE Explore).

CARLsim Release 2.2.0 Features
----------------------------------
1. Improved and expanded real-time SNN vision models.
2. Included support for a parameter tuning interface library that uses evolutionary algorithms and GPUs for automated SNN parameter tuning.
3. Implemented a model for homeostatic synaptic scaling.
4. Added CUDA 5.0 support.

Best regards from the CARLsim team,

Michael Beyeler
Kris Carlson
Nikil Dutt
Jeff Krichmar

-----------------
Jeff Krichmar
Department of Cognitive Sciences
2328 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-5100
jkrichma@uci.edu
http://www.socsci.uci.edu/~jkrichma

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Friday, February 7, 2014

[Comp-neuro] CFP: 2nd Smart Sensor Protocols and Algorithms (SSPA2014) - Benidorm, Spain, June 22-27, 2014

[Please accept our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this email]

*********************** CFP *******************************

2nd Smart Sensor Protocols and Algorithms (SSPA2014)
http://jlloret.webs.upv.es/sspa2014/

in conjunction with The thirteenth International Conference on Ad-Hoc Networks and Wireless (AdHoc Now-2014)
Benidorm, Spain, June 22-27, 2014.
http://www.adhocnow.net/

SCOPE:

Smart Sensor protocols and algorithms make use of several methods and techniques (such as machine learning techniques, decision making techniques, knowledge representation, network optimization, problem solution techniques, and so on), to establish communication between network devices. They can be used to perceive the network conditions, or the user behavior, in order to dynamically plan, adapt, decide, take the appropriate actions, and learn from the consequences of their actions. The algorithms can make use of the information gathered from the protocol in order to sense the environment, plan actions according to the input, take consciousness of what is happening in the environment, and take the appropriate decisions using a reasoning engine. Goals such as decide which scenario fits best its end-to-end purpose, or environment prediction, can be achieved with smart protocols and algorithms. Moreover, they could learn from the past and use this knowledge to improve future de!
cisions.

In this workshop, researchers are encouraged to submit papers focused on the design, development, analysis or optimization of smart sensor protocols or algorithms at any communication layer. Algorithms and protocols based on artificial intelligence techniques for network management, network monitoring, quality of service enhancement, performance optimization and network secure are included in the workshop.

This conference edition once again targets to gather researchers from academia and industrial sectors to present analytical research, simulations, practical results, position papers addressing the pros and cons of specific proposals, and advances in sensor protocols and algorithms. The topics suggested by the conference can be discussed in term of concepts, state of the art, standards, deployments, implementations, running experiments and applications.

TOPICS OF INTEREST:

Authors are invited to submit complete unpublished papers, which are not under review in any other conference or journal, including, but are not limited to, the following topic areas:

- Reasoning and learning techniques for sensing environment pollution
- Smart route prediction in vehicular sensor networks
- Smart data aggregation in vehicular sensor networks
- Smart multimedia network protocols and algorithms for WSNs
- Application layer, transport layer and network layer cognitive protocols
- Cognitive radio network protocols and algorithms
- Automatic protocols and algorithms for environment prediction
- Algorithms and protocols to predict data network states
- Intelligent synchronization techniques for sensor network protocols and algorithms
- Smart sensor protocols and algorithms for e-health
- Software applications for smart algorithms design and development in WSNs
- Dynamic protocols based on the perception of their performance
- Smart protocols and algorithms for Smartgrids
- Protocols and algorithms focused on building conclusions for taking the appropriate actions
- Smart Automatic and self-autonomous WSNs
- Artificial intelligence applied in protocols and algorithms for WSNs
- Smart security protocols and algorithms in WSNs
- Smart cryptographic algorithms for communication in WSNs
- Artificial intelligence applied to power efficiency and energy saving protocols and algorithms
- Smart routing and switching protocols and algorithms in WSNs
- Cognitive protocol and algorithm models for saving communication costs
- Any kind of intelligent technique applied to QoS, content delivery, network Monitoring and network mobility management
- Smart cooperative protocols and algorithms WSNs
- Problem recognition and problem solving protocols for WSNs
- Genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic and neural networks applied to WSNs

IMPORTANT DATES:

Abstract registration: 21st of February 2014
Submission deadline: 21st of February 2014
Author notification: 14th of March 2014
Camera-ready version: 28th of March 2014
Workshop Dates: 22-27th of June 2014

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Authors are invited to submit original and unpublished papers. Papers presenting original and unpublished work are invited and will be evaluated based on originality, significance, technical soundness, and clarity of exposition. Submitted papers should be in PDF format. The submission website is:

http://senldogo0039.springer-sbm.com/ocs/conference/submitpaperto/SSPA2014

Authors can upload papers that should not exceed 8 pages (including a 150 word abstract, all figures, tables and references) in Springer Verlag LNCS format. All papers will be reviewed for technical merit. Detailed formatting and submission guidelines is available on the conference website. Submissions imply the willingness of at least one author to register, attend the conference, and present the paper.

SPECIAL ISSUES:

Network Protocols and Algorithms

COMMITTEES:

General Chairs
Jaime Lloret Mauri, Universitat Polit�cnica Val�ncia, Spain
Kayhan Zrar Ghafoor, University of Koya, Kurdistan Region-Iraq

TPC Chairs
Miguel Garcia Pineda, Universidad Polit�cnica de Valencia, Spain
Ali Safa, Universiti of Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

Panel & Tutorial Chairs
Sandra Sendra compte, Universidad Polit�cnica de Valencia, Spain
Rashid Khokhar, Charles Sturt University, Australia

Web Chair
Alejandro C�novas Solbes, Universitat Polit�cnica Val�ncia, Spain
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[Comp-neuro] Postdoc Sought to Venture beyond the Grid, at SISSA, Trieste, Italy

A postdoctoral position is available from April 1st, 2014, for 2 years, to
study the dynamics of spatial and semantic memory in complex geometries.

The research, to be carried out within the LIMBO group at SISSA, is part of
a collaboration coordinated by Edvard Moser in Trondheim, including also
Richard Morris in Edinburgh and Jorg Conradt in Munich and funded by the EU
contract GRIDMAP. At SISSA current research, mainly by Eugenio Urdapilleta
and Federico Stella, focuses on mathematical and computational analyses of
the representations that can be established in environments more complex
than standard 2D flat surfaces; opening the way for a new postdoc to link
purely spatial with semantic structures and analyze the ensuing dynamics.

The ideal candidate brings into the project a perspective different from
ours, is a proficient programmer and a creative thinker. A lack of
familiarity with grid cells, the hippocampus and spatial navigation may be
advantageous, if combined with an open mind and plastic synapses. The SISSA
campus overlooks the gulf, and is possibly the best place where to do
research in Italy. Enquiries can be directed to me at ale@sissa.it,
although eventually formal applications will have to be addressed to the
SISSA Director at assegni.ricerca@sissa.it

Application deadline: March 10th, 2014
--
Alessandro Treves http://people.sissa.it/~ale/limbo.html
SISSA - Cognitive Neuroscience, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
and Master in Complex Actions http://www.mca.sissa.it/

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[Comp-neuro] ESF-EMBO Minibrains Symposia: Nov 8-13

We are pleased to announce the upcoming ESF-EMBO ymposia - Flies, worms
and robots: combining perspectives on minibrains and behaviour - which
will take place near Barcelona (Spain) on November 8-13, 2014. The topic
of the conference is progress towards a multi-level understanding
of brain function, from molecules to ethology, focussing on Drosophila as
a model system, but looking beyond to other organisms such as C. elegans,
and to a wide range of investigative approaches including modelling and
robotics. More details and registration available here:

https://minibrains.esf.org/

best wishes

Barbara Webb

Professor of Biorobotics
School of Informatics
University of Edinburgh

--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

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Thursday, February 6, 2014

[Comp-neuro] Brain Connectivity Workshop 2014 - registration now open!

We cordially invite you to the Brain Connectivity Workshop 2014 which will take place in Hamburg, Germany, from 4th to 6th June 2014 (Welcome reception on the evening of 3rd June).  See website (http://sfb936.net/index.php/events/brain-connectivity-workshop-2014) for details.
 
The Brain Connectivity Workshop (http://www.brain-connectivity-workshop.org) is an annual meeting that is dedicated to discussing the latest approaches and findings in the field of brain connectivity studies within a small group of experts. Hence attendance is limited to 140 participants, and the workshop strongly aims to facilitate exchange and discussion of ideas by a number of unique features.
 
Important dates at a glance:

* Registration: Now open - early registration until March 31, 2014, http://www.sfb936.net/index.php/events/brain-connectivity-workshop-2014.
Because of the limited number of participants, early registration is strongly advised; seats will be allocated on a first come, first served principle. Speakers do not have to register.
 
* The HBM 2014 meeting will take place in Hamburg, from June 8th to 12th (http://www.humanbrainmapping.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3565), right after the Brain Connectivity Workshop.
 
We look forward to seeing you.
 
Prof. Claus C. Hilgetag, PhD
(University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dept. of Computational Neuroscience)

Prof. Dr. Klaas E. Stephan
(University of Zurich (UZH) & Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich)

Prof. Dr. Andreas K. Engel
(University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dept. of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology)

Prof. Dr. Christian Gerloff
(University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Clinic and Policlinic of Neurology)

Hilke Marina Petersen
(University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Dept. of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology) – Management
 
 
The workshop is supported by DFG Sonderforschungsbereich 936 "Multi-Site Communication in the Brain" (SFB 936), www.sfb936.net.
 

Apologies for cross-posting.

[Comp-neuro] CFP: Special Issue in Pattern Recognition Letters on "Pattern Recognition in Human-Computer-Interaction"

---- PLEASE, APOLOGIZE MULTIPLE COPIES ----    Dear colleagues,    due to several requests the deadline for the Special Issue   in the Pattern Recognition Letters Journal on    "Pattern Recognition in Human-Computer-Interation"     has been extended to FEBRUARY 20, 2014.    Please find the CfP below and at     https://www.uni-ulm.de/fileadmin/website_uni_ulm/iui.inst.130/Mitarbeiter/schwenker/CfP.pdf    With best regards,   Friedhelm Schwenker (SI Guest Editor)    ---  

Call for Papers

Special Issue on  

Pattern Recognition in Human-Computer-Interaction

to be published in the  Pattern Recognition Letters Journal 

***  New Submission deadline: February 20, 2014 ***

Building intelligent artificial companions capable to interact with humans in the same way humans interact with each other is a major challenge in affective computing. Such a type of interactive companion must be able to perceive  and interprete multimodal information about the user in order to be able to produce an appropriate response. The proposed special issue mainly focuses on pattern recognition and machine learning methods for the perception of the user’s affective states, activities and intentions.  

Topics of interest include (yet, they are not limited to) the following issues.

A. Algorithms to recognize emotions, behaviors, activities and intentions

·               Facial expression recognition

·               Recognition of gestures, head/body poses

·               Audiovisual emotion recognition

·               Analysis of bio-physiological data for emotion recognition

·               Multimodal information fusion architectures

·               Multi Classifier Systems and Multi View Classifiers

·               Temporal fusion

B. Learning algorithms for social signal processing

·               Learning from unlabeled and partially labeled data

·               Learning with noisy/uncertain labels

·               Deep learning architectures

·               Learning of time series

C. Applications

·               Companion Technologies

·               Robotics

·               Assistive systems

D. Benchmark data bases 

This special issue invites paper submissions on the most recent developments in human computer interaction research rooted in pattern recognition. The special issue will comprise (1) papers submitted in response to this call, and (2) extended versions of selected papers from the recent, successful MPRSS 2012 and MPRSS 2013 workshops sponsored by the International Association for Pattern Recognition.

MPRSS 2012: November 11, 2012 Tsukuba, Japan http://neuro.informatik.uni-ulm.de/MPRSS2012/ 

MPRSS 2013: June 15, 2013, Lausanne, Switzerland, http://neuro.informatik.uni-ulm.de/MPRSS2013/  

Paper submission

The papers must be submitted online via the Pattern Recognition Letters Journal website (http://ees.elsevier.com/patrec/), selecting the choice that indicates this special issue (identifier: PR-HCI). Please, prepare your paper following the Journal guidelines for Authors (http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505619/authorinstructions), which include specifications for submissions aimed at Special Issues. Priority will be given to the papers with high novelty and originality. 

Submission templates (for both LaTex and MW Word users) are available and it is mandatory that  submissions are prepared  by using these templates. Potential contributors will find the templates in the guidelines for Authors  in the PRLetters webpage.

Submissions to the SI can be at most 10 pages long (in the PRLetters layout). This is different from what has been done until a few weeks ago, where Word/Figure-/Table counting was done at EES to check whether a paper had been prepared according to the rules or had to be sent back to Authors for editing. Now only page counting is done at the EES ASA department and papers longer than 10 pages will be sent back to Authors to shorten them.

If you are not sure on whether your manuscripts matches the aims and scope of this special issue or not, do not hesitate to get in touch with the guest editors at any time. 

Guest editors

Friedhelm Schwenker (Managing Editor)

Institute of Neural Information Processing

Ulm University, Germany

friedhelm.schwenker@uni-ulm.de

 

Stefan Scherer

Multimodal Communication and Computation Laboratory

Institute for Creative Technologies

University of Southern California

scherer@ict.usc.edu

 

Louis-Philippe Morency

Multimodal Communication and Computation Laboratory

Institute for Creative Technologies

University of Southern California

morency@ict.usc.edu

  

[Comp-neuro] Frontiers Research Topic: Driving innovation in therapeutic brain stimulation with biophysical models - New deadlines

Dear all,

I am pleased to inform you that our Research Topic organized with Frontiers in Neuroscience (Host Specialty: Frontiers in Computional Neuroscience) is still open, and has now an extended deadline for abstract submission and full manuscript submission. As a reminder, our Research Topic is entitled:

"Driving Innovation in Therapeutic Brain Stimulation With Biophysical Models"

Topic Editors: Julien Modolo, Alexandre Legros and Alex W Thomas - Lawson Health Research and Western University, London, Ontario (Canada).

Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15 2014

Article Submission Deadline: June 1st, 2014


Research Topic Description: 

Electric and magnetic stimulation of the brain have become increasingly used for therapy in numerous neurological disorders over the last 20 years. The domain of therapeutic brain stimulation is complex and dynamic, since it involves many different diseases (e.g., Parkinson's disease, epilepsy), stimulation devices and protocols (from completely non-invasive stimulation to the chronic implantation of stimulation electrodes in the brain). Despite its use by hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide, it seems paradoxical that, in most cases, the biological mechanisms by which therapeutic brain stimulation can provide symptom relief are unknown. Our limited knowledge in terms of interaction mechanisms dramatically slows down the development of novel brain stimulation techniques, which rely mainly on empiric observations. 

Fortunately, a paradigm change has begun, and biophysical modeling has emerged as an alternative tool not only allowing ot understand therapeutic brain stimulation, but also to foster innovation. Realistic models of neurons and neural networks are now routinely used in neuroscience research to better understand the outcome of experimental data, and also to help in experiment design. These models can simulate the activity of single cells (e.g., with the Hodgkin-Huxley model), or, at the other extreme, of the entire brain (Blue Brain project). One especially appealing use of these models is to simulate in silico how electric and magnetic fields modulate neuronal activity at different spatial and temporal scales, to ultimately have an impact on behaviour. This application of biophysical models of brain activity is currently the focus of intense research efforts, with the hope of groundbreaking clinical translations on the horizon. 

The objective of this Research Topic is to offer a comprehensive overview of the most recent biophysical models and their contribution in the development of innovative therapeutic brain stimulation techniques, in various neurological disorders. An emphasis should be made on the critical role of biophysical modeling in the rational and effective design of novel brain stimulation techniques, and also in providing key insights into fundamental interaction mechanisms that can be exploited to ends of therapy.


About Frontiers Research Topics:

Frontiers Research Topics are designed to be an organized, encyclopedic coverage of a particular research area, and a forum for discussion and debate. Contributions can be of different article types (Original Research, Methods, Hypothesis & Theory, and others).

Our Research Topic has a dedicated homepage on the Frontiers website, where contributing articles are accumulated and discussions can be easily held. Once all articles are published, the topic will be compiled into an e-book, which can be sent to foundations that fund your research, to journalists and press agencies, and to any number of other organizations. As the ultimate reference source from leading scientists, Frontiers Research Topic articles become highly cited.

Frontiers is a Swiss-based, open access publisher. As such an article accepted for publication incurs a publishing fee, which varies depending on the article type. The publishing fee for accepted articles is below average compared to most other open access journals - and lower than subscription-based journals that apply page and color figure charges. Moreover, for Research Topic articles, the publishing fee is discounted quite steeply thanks to the support of the Frontiers Research Foundation.
Details on Frontiers' fees can be found at http://www.frontiersin.org/about/PublishingFees.

When published, your article will be freely available to visitors to the Frontiers site, and will be indexed in PubMed and other academic archives. As an author in Frontiers, you will retain the copyright to your own paper and all figures.

The details regarding this Research Topic for Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience can be found at the following URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/computational_neuroscience/researchtopics/driving_innovation_in_therapeu/1443

Should you choose to participate, please confirm by sending a quick email and then your abstract using the following link: http://www.frontiersin.org/submissioninfo


Thanks in advance for your interest!


Julien Modolo, Alexandre Legros and Alex W Thomas

--

Julien Modolo, PhD
Scientist, Human Threshold Research Group, Lawson Health Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Departments of Medical Biophysics and Medical Imaging, Western University
Room E4-141
268 Grosvenor Street
London, ON, N6A4V2
Canada
Phone: (+001) 519-646-6100 ext 64192
Fax: 519-646-6100